The AfDB, the UN and African Stakeholders to Discuss the Implementation of the SDG-16 and the High 5s in Fragile Situations in Africa

11 March 2016
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African Development Bank (Abidjan)

To: 16/03/2016

Location: Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

The Bank is hosting in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, on March 16, 2016, a workshop to discuss and exchange views on the challenges and opportunities of implementing the SDG-16 in fragile situations in Africa, in particular in the context of the Bank's five priorities referred to as the "High 5s". The SDG-16 aims at promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. The seminar will bring together subject expert representatives from the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU), as well as members of the Diplomatic corps in Abidjan and high level representatives from regional and international institutions based in Abidjan.

During the UN Sustainable Development Summit that took place from 25-27 September 2015, The UN and AfDB committed to strengthen their partnership and work closely together in the implementation of the SDGs in Africa, with a focus on the Bank's High 5s. Both institutions recognize that poverty eradication and sustainable development requires tackling conflict and insecurity. Implementing SDG16 is not business as usual, especially in the context of the High 5s. It requires strong and effective partnerships across the political, security and development community. The seminar will therefore bring together the UN, AU, and other African stakeholders - practitioners, civil society actors and policy makers - to discuss how to strengthen their partnership to implement SDG-16 in Africa, based on their comparative advantages and mandates. The Bank's leadership around the High 5s agenda and its long-standing engagement as a trusted and neutral broker in fragile situations, position the institution as a critical partner to achieve the SDGs in Africa.

The seminar will focus on the West Africa Region to discuss the role of the different institutions and how they can work together to assist the region that is faced with complex challenges, including an increasing threat of terrorism, the emergence of criminal networks, demands of a growing youthful population for economic and political inclusion, persistent disputes around land ownership and the marginalization of peripheral regions, all of which threaten the stability of the region and undermine its development prospects

Topics to be discussed include:

(i) "the challenges and opportunities of operationalizing AfDB's High 5s in fragile and conflict affected situations", which will examine the Bank's High-5s in relation to the implementation of the SDGs in general, and SDG 16 in particular;

(ii) "Africa's continental peace and security architecture and regional peace-making initiatives": the African Union has developed a Framework on Post Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD), which is premised on African ownership and leadership and also established the Peace and Security Council (PSC) to respond to incidence of conflicts in Africa This topic will provide an opportunity to assess the AU's actions, policies, programmes and frameworks directed at peace-making and state building in West Africa;

(iii) "Mobilising International support to Post-conflict Reconstruction": this topic will be addressed by the UN Peace Building Commission and will examine the modalities and challenges of mobilising international support for post-conflict reconstruction. It will have the advantage of offering a framework of references from outside Africa, as well as its expected approach to challenges that are specific to the continent and the region in particular;

(iv) "Policies, strategies and resources that will be needed at the level of countries to rise to the challenge of implementing the SDGs". It will be addressed by a high level government official from a country within the West Africa region. It will not only offer perspectives from a governmental stand-point, but will also touch on the particular challenges and opportunities to be taken into account in the fragile situations in the region.

Date: March 16, 2016

Venue: Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, CCIA Building, Room 7i

Time: 9:30 am - 12:30 am

Participants: Senior Management from the African Development Bank, the United Nations and the African Union, members of the Diplomatic corps in Abidjan, African stakeholders (practitioners, civil society actors and policy makers)

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